Rationale

Although Norway does have a system for the provision of basic skills training for adults, the target groups remain to a large extent unaware of their training possibilities. Although Norway as a whole scores higher than average in PIAAC, significant percentages of the population score too low. PIAAC shows that the number of people with poor literacy and numeracy skills is completely out of proportion with the number of people accessing the existing offers in municipal AL centers or through the national work-based program, SkillsPlus (formerly known as Basic Competence in Working Life, BCWL).

In their Official Political Platform, the Sundvolden Declaration, the current Norwegian government expressed its intention to establish a national commitment towards adults with poor basic skills. Two specific priorities were identified: 1) to ensure that people who receive unemployment benefits, should automatically be offered an assessment of basic skills, and 2) to establish a general right to assessment of basic skills for adults.

Studies by Vox (Skills Norway since Jan 1st 2017) show also that the country lacks adequate assessment tools, especially a simple, user friendly, and accessible screening test which can be used both for self-testing and to help professionals in employment agencies or career centers determine if individuals are in need of basic skills training.

Objectives

The project aims at creating a userfriendly online screening tool which can be used both by individuals and counsellors to determine the need for basic skills training. It will also design and implement an efficient marketing and dissemination plan for the tool, which will also aim at increasing the general awareness of the issue of functional basic skills for adults in the whole population and in particular within the target group (PIAAC low-scorers) and the authorities in charge of their assistance.

The end result of the project will be a) a new tool for basic skills screening, b) increased outreach towards adults in need of further AL, c) increased awareness of existing LLL possibilities.

The tool development process will aim at facilitating the translation of the products for further dissemination throughout Europe.

The project runs from November 1st 2015 to October 31st 2017.

Project coordinator: Ingrid Radtke, ingrid.radtke@kompetansenorge.no

The partnership aims primarily at establishing a meeting place for the exchange of knowledge and experience regarding the professional development of teachers and trainers of basic skills, and it addresses both trained teachers and volunteers.

The quality of education is strongly dependent on the quality of the teacher and therefore the training of professionals and volunteers working in the field of adult education should also respond to high standards of quality.

One of the major objectives for SEA is to improve the delivery of basic skills courses for adults through adequately trained teachers. The main outcome of the project partnership will be a list of criteria and recommendations for further development of quality curriculums, methods and training for basic skills teachers. The project is also expected to give concrete input to the workshops organized within the EBSN Academy.

The partnership will be contributing to national and European policy through the project’s cooperation with the European Basic Skills Network, EBSN.

Partners

• ACEFIR, Spain (project coordinator)

• ACEV, Turkey

• Bureau Lidwien Vos de Wael, the Netherlands

• DIE, Germany

• Skills Norway, Norway

Project period

October 2013 – May 2015.

Read more at the SEA website

The partnership aimed primarily at establishing a meeting place for the exchange of knowledge, experience, insights and practical models related to the initial literacy training of immigrants in Europe. Also, producing a list of recommendations that can further the quality and efficiency of initial literacy training was a major objective.

The partnership aspired to contribute to national and European policy through the project’s cooperation with the European Basic Skills Network, EBSN.

The ALFIE partners will explore themes like:

• teachers’ professional development
• pedagogical approaches
• concrete didactic guidelines
• different systems for assistance in mother language
• organisational issues

The work took place in and between a series of five seminars, and was be disseminated through national networks and through cooperation with the EBSN.

ALFIE is a Learning Partnership within the Grundtvig / LLP programme.

Partners:

• Skills Norway, Norway (coordinator)
• ACEFIR, Spain
• Albeda College, the Netherlands
• Akrotea.ch, Switzerland
• University of Iceland, Iceland

Project period: 1 August 2011 - 31 July 2013

Website

ALFIE website

Final report

Download the final report (PDF)

The collected material was translated into English and into the languages of the partner countries. The tested material was discussed in conferences and during study visits and the services in the various countries for adults learning mathematics at a level between basic threshold level and upper secondary level were discussed.

Target group

The target group of the project was teachers and policy makers in the field of mathematics for adults.

Adequate provision of Basic Skills training (BST) for adults is one of the main conditions for the successful implementation of national policies for lifelong learning. Norway has put in place a number of measures to ensure that low qualified adults are able to take "one step up" in their qualifications, but the provision of BST is still fragmented into different sectors and areas of responsibility and its quality, although assumed to be relatively good, is not ensured by any national quality system. Some of the sectors involved have put in place a system for accreditation of providers, and measures to ensure the initial training and continued professional development of BS teachers but we lack a consistent quality framework.

Objectives

• Establishing a consensus among all sectors and stakeholders involved about the need to focus on quality of provision for BST;
• Identifying the most urgent issues and the possibilities for synergy between initiatives in the different sectors;
• Profiting from the work done in other European countries, by involving experts and keeping in touch with other National Coordinators;
• Coordinating the efforts of all stakeholders with the aim of creating the first draft of a Road Map called "Towards a Quality Framework for Basic Skills Training Provision in all sectors of Norwegian Adult Learning".

Impact

At national level, a common roadmap accepted by all relevant stakeholders will contribute to increase the participation rate of low qualified and disadvantaged adults.

Through sharing of research and consultation with European actors at workshops and conferences, the results can also be transferred to other countries as a basis for their fora on quality in adult learning.

Project period

Project start-up: October 1st 2012
Duration: 24 months

Background

The European Agenda for Adult Learning, which was formally adopted by the Council in November 2011, focuses on providing second-chance opportunities for low qualified adults by strengthening their basic skills, such as literacy, numeracy and digital knowledge. For the implementation of the new Agenda, the Commission has called on the National Coordinators. Vox was nominated as National Coordinator by the Norwegian Ministry for Education and Research in 2011.

The role of the national coordinators appointed by the EU Member States and other countries participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) is to ensure effective liaison with the relevant ministries and stakeholders, the social partners, businesses, relevant non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations, with a view to improving coherence between policies on adult learning and broader socio-economic policies.

In December 2011 the Lifelong Learning Programme Committee approved a restricted call for proposals to support the activities of the national coordinators during the period 2012–2014. Vox application was accepted in August 2012.

The partnership focussed on good practice and challenges as to the organization, implementation and delivery of the teacher training as well as pedagogical issues and didactical approaches. The main outcome of the partnership was a draft of guidelines and recommendations for further development of professional development of basic skills teachers. The partnership aspired to contribute to national and European policy through the project’s cooperation with the European Basic Skills Network, EBSN.

The BASKET partnership had partners from university and research as well as partners developing national models, curricula and training modules for the professional development of teachers teaching basic skills to adults. BASKET also had partners that act as policy advocates in this field, and partners that provide lifelong learning programs for the general public.

BASKET was a Learning Partnership within the Grundtvig/LLP programme.

Partners 

• Skills Norway, Norway (coordinator)
• Institute of Education, University of London, UK
• SVEB, Switzerland
• IREA, Romania
• DIE, Germany
• Regional centre of Education and Language School Providing State Language Exams Pilsen, Czech Republic
• Progress Consult, Hungary
• Education Scotland, UK

Project period

1 August 2011 – 31 July 2013

Website

Visit the project website

The main pedagogical concept underlying the EMMA network is co-operative learning, in the sense that the objective of the project is to provide an arena for discussion, exchange of experiences, awareness raising, etc.

Background

The IALS study showed that from 30% to 65% (depending on the country) of the European adult population score so low in numeracy that their lack of skills may negatively affect their quality of life, labour market possibilities and participation in lifelong learning. The results of the ALL Survey (Adult Literacy and Life Skill Survey) confirm the need for better strategies for the raising of numeracy skills in the adult population of Europe. The ALL definition of numeracy is: “Numeracy is the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage and respond to the mathematical demands of diverse situations.”

Even in countries with a high level of awareness about this issue, we find that education and training providers are often at a loss to find adequate strategies, approaches and didactical methods that will help adults, in their own right or as employees, reach a higher level of numeracy skills.

Objectives

The project will create and sustain the EMMA portal, which will be the network's main arena of discussion, the project's main means of dissemination and a tool for knowledge dissemination for all European experts and educators involved in this field. The main expected impact will be in terms of benchmarking of national policies and approaches.

The overall project aim is to

• raise awareness of the scope of the problem and of possible remedial strategies
• exchange research results, examples of good practice, and new didactic approaches
• discuss new recommendations that can be implemented by policy makers

Target group

The primary target group consists of trainers and advisors who meet adults with numeracy problems. The second target group is adults with numeracy problems. Policy makers will be an obvious target group for the dissemination of project result.

Partners

There are a total of 17 partners from 16 countries. The countries are Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Latvia, Austria, Greece, Italy, Romania, France, Slovenia, Germany, Hungary, UK, Belgium and Norway.

Coordination institution: Vox

Project period

2005–2007

Website

See EMMA's webpage

It involves different generations learning from each other and/or learning together with a tutor or facilitator.

ENIL responds to the need identified among practitioners to offer a platform and incentives for fostering new ideas and new developments in intergenerational learning across Europe, and to provide the infrastructure for on-going exchange of expertise, good practice, news, research and developments in the field.

ENIL aims to facilitate discussion and shared understanding of concepts/terminology around Intergenerational Learning Policy and Practice, while identifying new priorities and raising the profile of Intergenerational Learning across Europe by consolidating informal networks, contributing to the debate on the role of seniors in today's society, influencing policy makers, and disseminating and mainstreaming intergenerational learning developments. The Network will encourage both the horizontal transfer of innovation among practitioners and a two-way vertical dialogue between policy makers and the grass-root level.

It is expected that, as a result of network activities, practitioners throughout Europe will be able to adopt and/or improve intergenerational learning activities, and that policy makers will have sufficient information to back up further support for and mainstreaming of intergenerational learning activities into national and transnational policy and curricula.

Participants

ENIL is coordinated by EPFF (Espace Pédagogique Formation France), in Marseille, and has 25 participants from 20 European countries. Vox is the Norwegian partner in the network.

Project period

December 2010–December 2013

Background

ENIL is funded by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme, and is building on the foundations laid by the work in the European Family Learning Network, 2006–2009 and Falcon (the Family Learning Conference), 2003–2005.

Website

Read more at the projects website

Family Learning is a concept that covers all learning that involves more than one generation. The method emphasises the use of existing resources within the family by building on the particular family’s starting point, strengths and competences. It also implies the use of authentic learning arenas like the neighbourhood and the home.

EFLN will present good practice from the field of family learning by means of

• Conferences
• Newsletters
• The EFLN web site

EFLN is a Grundtvig 4 network with partners from eleven European countries: Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Great Britain.

By being part of the EFLN Vox can contribute valuable suggestions to the Norwegian network on family learning that Skills Norway coordinates, and our national experience can be shared with European stakeholders.

Website

View the EFLN web site

Educators and institutions forming part of this network have been networking by exchanging their expertise in facilitating the learning processes of adults with reading and writing difficulties and teaching educators and counsellors how to diagnose and guide these adult students. The portal created by the project still is, after the end of the project period, a contribution towards a Europe-wide approach that will ensure better access to life long learning for adults with reading and writing difficulties.

Working method

The exchange of information has taken place in the form of study visits, exchange of examples of good practice, exchange of research articles and a continuous discussion in meetings and conferences and in the open Discussion Forum of the portal.

Target group

The target group of the network activities consisted of researchers, teachers, social workers, and others who are interested in the field of adult literacy.

Partners

The partners came from Cyprus, Malta, Latvia, Estonia, Denmark, Norway (two partners), England, Romania, Slovenia, Germany and Ireland

Results

The portal and the network are in themselves valuable results of the project. A large final conference was organised in Romania. Forward Trainer has been a follow-up project.

Website

Visit the project home page

The project has produced a course that can be used at both international and national level. The idea behind the course was to empower the participants with specific knowledge, information, pedagogical skills and approaches to supporting adults with reading and writing difficulties.

Objectives

The project’s specific objectives were:

• to collect the experience of educators that were already offering support for adults who have reading and writing difficulties, including dyslexia
• to compile a handbook for teachers, trainers, tutors, shop stewards on how to use different pedagogical approaches that help adults with reading and writing difficulties difficulties/dyslexia learn better. (The practical course handbook, published on the project’s web page, includes instructions and examples on running an awareness-raising course. It has been translated into eight different languages.)
• to validate this handbook throughout a test-run course
• to use the final outcomes as a base for a series of Grundtvig 3 courses and national courses
• to ensure the dissemination of these results through the inclusion of this course in the G3 catalogue by some of the partners involved in the project, as well as disseminating the information about the courses by all possible means: the project’s web page, brochures, through the partners’ networks

Target groups

The target group included teachers and trainers, but the course and the handbook have been directed generally towards persons who are likely to be in the first line to meet people with reading and writing difficulties.

Partners

The project partners came from Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Great Britain, Ireland, Malta, Norway, Romania and Slovenia.

Project period

2004–2006

Website

Visit the project website

HIPPO looks at various aspects of prison education and compares systems and practices in the partner countries. Each of the partners has the responsibility for a specific topic and also organises study visits related to their specific area of responsibility. The overall goal of the project is to exchange experience and compare systems and practices within prison education.

The project has a comprehensive approach towards prison education, and it looks at what happens as to education from a person enters prison until he/she is released. This includes topics like policy and decision-making related to prison education, different practices for validation of prior learning and needs assessment, specific barriers to learning and strategies to overcome those, as well as good practices for cooperation between teachers and trainers, prison staff and administration and external organisations and services.

Members

HIPPO is being coordinated by Vox with partners from Finland, Germany, Belgium, France and Luxemburg in addition to Norway.

Project period

HIPPO is a two-year Grundtvig learning partnership that started in the autumn of 2009.

Website 

Visit HIPPO's website

New Basic Skills (NBS), as described in the EU's Memorandum on Lifelong Learning and in the Commission’s Communication “MAKING A EUROPEAN AREA OF LIFELONG LEARNING A REALITY” comprise traditional basic skills including literacy and numeracy and also new skills (IT skills, foreign languages, entrepreneurship and social skills: communication, team-working, negotiation, etc.)

Target group

European workers, particularly those with low to medium levels of formal education, need to develop these NBS in the workplace within a frame they can see as relevant to their work situation through tools that are user-friendly, interesting and motivational.

Pedagogical solution

Internet-based Problem Solving Role-play is a short term activity which has been used in formal academic education and which may provide an innovative and stimulating way of fulfilling these specific educational needs in the workplace, but the model needs to be developed both regarding scripts (problem topics relating to specific occupational sectors) and didactic/organisational approach.

Partners

A total of 13 partners come from the following countries:
Romania, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway

Coordinating institution: Vox

Project period

2004–2007

Website

Visit InterActs web page

”From Migration to Management” (M2M) is a learning partnership under the European Union’s Grundtvig Programme with partners in Spain, Belgium, France, Denmark, the UK and Norway.

The aim of the project is that more immigrant employees are qualified for and recruited to positions in middle management. Employees of immigrant origin are often predominant in specific sectors but are seldom found in management positions even if they constitute a large part of the work force.

The recruitment of immigrants is considered important of democratic reasons, but also to provide good role models for second and third generations of immigrant descent.

The M2M partnership is looking for best practices of methods, models and practices already implemented to recruit managers with immigrant background.

The project also aims at identifying the most important barriers for an employee of immigrant origin aspiring for a position in middle management and also the main criteria for success.

The project is coordinated by Vox.

Project duration

2007–2009

Partners

• Skills Norway, Norway (coordinator)
• Manresa City Council, Spain
• Centre for Intercultural Management and International Communication (CIMIC), Belgium
• GRETA du Velay, France
• Association for Integration of New Danes on the Labour Market, Denmark
• Westminster Adult Education Service, the UK

Website

Visit the project's website

The partner institutions come from Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Spain and Hungary. The aim of this project is to empower teachers in adult education in order to improve the functional numeracy of European adults.

Activities

The basis for the outputs of the project will be established through the use of teacher questionnaires and national reports based on these questionnaires. The reports and a variety of theoretical approaches will be discussed in a series of project seminars, and so will the various drafts of the handbook that will result from the project. In addition to four project seminars, two coordinators’ meetings make up the framework of the project organisation.

Output

The main output from the project will be a handbook for teachers consisting of two main parts:
a) Theoretical thoughts on learning mathematics in real life situations, based on our investigations in the seven countries, and
b)  Examples of alternative ways of learning and teaching, based on practical experience.
The handbook is intended to be used in e.g. Grundtvig 3 courses for teachers who teach numeracy to adults.

The project web page has been operative since February 15th 2005.

An international Conference will be held in Copenhagen the 8th and the 9th of October 2007.

Project period

2004–2007

Website

See MiA's webpage